This invention relates to the field of temporary housing in particularly temporarily housing which can be quickly erected and collapsed.
Temporary shelters which are much more robust than tents have been previously designed. Such structures utilizes accordion forms made of polythene board laminated between sheets of craft paper and coated with polythene. The accordion structure is expanded into a tunnel and end panels which contain doors, windows etc. are used to maintain the form of the shelter. Without the end panels in place, the form of the structure could not be maintained. Thus the structure could be placed on a flat base such as a poured concrete floor, however if the end panels are not in place is was required to be manually supported until the end panels were fixed to the structure to maintain its shape.
While such a structure fulfilled an important need and could be erected within a matter of hours from arrival at the building site, it is not suitable for use as an emergency shelter due to the assembly and disassembly time, the need for specialty tools in order to erect the shelter and the requirement of many people to help in the erection of the shelter due to the need of the requirement of end panels to be in place in order to hold the shelters form.
Therefore, there is a need for a collapsible shelter which can be quickly and easily erected and/or collapsed by minimal man power without need for special tools and within a short period of time of less than xc2xd hour.
The invention is a collapsible shelter that is relatively inexpensive to purchase; that may be relatively quickly disassembled, using simple tools, into substantially flat components for subsequent flat-packing, for transportation and storage; which may be relatively quickly and easily assembled from its components using simple tools; and that is capable of withstanding extreme weather conditions.
To provide an apparatus and method whereby shelter can be quickly and relatively inexpensively provided to persons in need of same.
The present invention a collapsible shelter comprises:
(a) spaced apart first and second upright pleated wall sections disposed substantially parallel to each other;
(b) first and second slanted pleated roof sections joined at upper ends to form a saw tooth roof peak, and joined at lower ends to upper ends of said wall section to form saw tooth wall-roof junctions;
(c) wherein said pleated wall sections together with said pleated roof sections form a tunnel member which is collapsible by folding said pleated sections onto each other in accordion style.
Preferably the collapsible shelter includes:
(a) a flat floor panel having straight parallel longitudinal creases defining floor panels, each floor panel operably corresponding to a wall panel;
(b) said floor further including an axial crease along an axis running in a transverse direction;
(c) wherein said flat floor panel is connected to lower ends of said wall section (defining a tunnel section) and collapses together with said tunnel member in accordion style, to a collapsed position, by firstly folding said floor along said axial crease, prior to folding said pleated section onto each other.
Preferably wherein said floor panel is attached to said wall sections exterior to said tunnel member creating an outside wall to floor attachment.
Preferably wherein said floor panel is attached to outside flap portions pivotally connected to said lower ends of said wall sections.
Preferably wherein said wall to floor attachment comprises:
(a) flap portions defined along lower ends of said wall panels,
(b) corresponding mounting portions defined proximate saw tooth side edges of said floor panel, whereby said flap portions are fastened to said mounting portions.
Preferably, wherein said mounting portions are separated by alternate inner and outer v corners along each saw tooth side edge.
Preferably, wherein said flap portions and mounting portions correlate and match adjacently together and include fasteners there through for securing said tunnel member to said floor panel.
Preferably wherein said collapsible shelter is collapsed by:
(a) folding in half said floor panel along said axial crease such that said floor halves fold inwardly into the interior of said tunnel member into a floor folded position;
(b) folding together said pleated wall and roof sections and said floor panels in accordion fashion until all wall, roof, and floor panels are stacked upon each other creating a compact portable collapsed shelter, in said collapsed.
Preferably, further comprising at least one soft end wall secured to a front edge of said floor wall and roof sections, such that said end wall is flexible and attached in such a manner that it remains attached in the collapsed position.
Preferably wherein said soft end wall is attached with u-channel frame portions clamping together flexible material of said soft end wall and front edges of said walls, roof and floor without interfering with collapsibility of said shelter.
Preferably, wherein said U-channel frame portions define soft corners to aid in collapsing of shelter.
Preferably, further comprising at least one rigid end wall secured to a front edge of said floor with wall flap portions and clip members clamping said flap portions to said wall, roof or floor panels.
Preferably, wherein said clip member being U shaped having a first arm passing through a clip slot in said rigid end wall clamping onto said flap portion of said wall and a second arm clamping onto said wall roof or floor panel such that said flap portion and tunnel panel are clamped together.
Preferably, wherein preferably said clip member includes rubberized barbs attached to at least one of said arms for gripping securely within said U-channel said panels.
Preferably wherein preferably said first arm includes a hooked portion at a second end such that in an unfastened position said hooked portion retains said clip member partially within said clip slot.